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Effectiveness of an oral health educational program on community‐dwelling older people with xerostomia
Author(s) -
Ohara Yuki,
Yoshida Naomi,
Kono Yoko,
Hirano Hirohiko,
Yoshida Hideyo,
Mataki Shiro,
Sugimoto Kumiko
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geriatrics and gerontology international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.823
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 1447-0594
pISSN - 1444-1586
DOI - 10.1111/ggi.12301
Subject(s) - medicine , swallowing , oral hygiene , educational program , massage , physical therapy , intervention (counseling) , tongue , oral health , population , health education , dentistry , nursing , public health , alternative medicine , environmental health , pathology , political science , law
Aim The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the changes in oral health and function through an oral health educational program for the independent older people with xerostomia. Methods Community‐dwelling older people with xerostomia aged over 65 years who participated in a preliminary comprehensive health survey in 2011 were recruited for the educational program. A total of 47 participants were randomly assigned into two groups, the intervention group ( n = 26) and the control group ( n = 21). The intervention group attended a 90‐min oral health education program every 2 weeks for 3 months. The program consisted of oral hygiene instruction, facial and tongue muscle exercise, and salivary gland massage. The control group was provided only general information about oral health. The assessments of oral function, such as oral diadochokinesis of articulation, swallowing, taste threshold and salivary flow rate, were carried out before and after 3 months with or without intervention. Results A total of 38 participants (21 of intervention group and 17 of control group) completed the study protocol. In the intervention group, resting salivation significantly improved after the program. The second and third cumulated R epetitive S aliva S wallowing T est times significantly improved in the intervention group. The threshold for bitterness significantly lowered in the intervention group, whereas the sour threshold significantly heightened in the control group after 3 months ( P < 0.05). Conclusions The present study suggests that the educational program targeting oral function improvement is effective among the independent older population. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 481–489.